What are PDF and PS Files?

PS (PostScript)

Postscript is a device independent programming language with powerful graphics capabilities. It was created by Adobe Systems Incorporated in 1985 and has been extended since then. On most operating systems a postscript file will end in an extension ".ps" or an extension ".eps" for an encapsulated postscript file.

PDF (Portable Document Format).

PDF files are sometimes called Acrobat files after Adobe's Acrobat reader. PDF is relatively new format from Adobe. It is closely related to PostScript, but has built-in support for hyperlinks. On most operating systems PDF files end ".pdf" extension.

Applications for Viewing PostScript and PDF files

• Adobe's Acrobat reader - for PDF and PS files.
  You can download Acrobat Reader from the Adobe web site by following the link above. For a limited set of operating systems, help on obtaining Acrobat Reader and other applications through Northwestern University can be found here.

Although unfortunately and perhaps misguidedly, most of the information and assistance at the NU Information Technology help desk is geared towards proprietary software, as opposed to free software or, as it is sometimes called, open source software .
• GhostScript Interpreters
  • GhostView - a graphical interface for Ghostscript. For Linux and Unix.
  • GSview - a graphical interface for Ghostscript. For OS/2, MS-Windows, and MS-NT.
  • Gv - Views PDF and PS files. Gv is an X interface for the ghostscript interpreter. For Linux, Unix, OS/2, and VMS operating systems.
  • PostScript viewers for Macintosh
• Xpdf - An X-windows PDF viewer.

 Example:
  If you have Adobe's Acrobat Reader and Netscape Communicator, 
  to configure netscape to launch Adobe Acrobat when you click 
  on a link to a PDF file do the following: 
    (1) From Netscape Communicator select Edit.
    (2) In the window that pops up select Preferences.
    (3) A small box will open up.  Click on the little triange |>
        to the left of the word Navigator.
    (4) Select Applications. 
    (5) Select New.
    (6) Enter the following information
            Description:  Portable Document Format
            MIMETypes:  application/pdf
	    Suffixs:  .pdf
    (7) Click on the browse button to show Netscape where you
        put Acrobat, or Enter the complete path name to Acrobat  
        followed by %s. For example, on my Linux system:
            /usr/local/Acrobat3/bin/acroread %s
    (8) Click on the button to the left of Application.

Other Help Pages

"Acrobat Reader by Adobe is part of the software supported by the Northwestern University Computing Center."
Although the official support appears to be exclusively for a limited set of proprietary operating systems.
"The easiest way to get Acrobat Reader for a Macintosh is to download the installer from the ACNS Server Plato."

Plato Core Software - ftp://plato.acns.nwu.edu/Plato/Core%20Software/

"It may also be downloaded, along with lots of other software from the Online Help Desk `find' page. It can also be downloaded or from the Acrobat home pages. Downloading it from Plato is probably easiest for Macs."